


Goodbye

by AwkwardBundle



Category: Now You See Me (Movies)
Genre: Gen, Henley leaves, Henley-centric, Hints at NYSM 2
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-06
Updated: 2016-07-06
Packaged: 2018-07-21 23:49:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 974
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7410022
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AwkwardBundle/pseuds/AwkwardBundle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Henley wanted out. It had been 8 months since their last appearance in New York and putting Bradley in jail, and the Eye hadn’t given them anything since then. She was beginning to lose faith that they ever would.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Goodbye

**Author's Note:**

> I've seen fics about Henley leaving, but none were really about Henley, only about the aftermath and how the others react. So I decided to write about her thoughts on leaving. First fic for the fandom, so I hope I do the Horsemen justice. Happy reading!

Henley wanted out. It had been 8 months since their last appearance in New York and putting Bradley in jail, and the Eye hadn’t given them anything since then. She was beginning to lose faith that they ever would.

She didn’t want to leave the Horsemen, they were her family, her home. After over a year of living and working together, they were the only people who she felt truly understood her. Leaving would mean giving that up. Leaving also meant giving up magic. Magic was her life, and if Henley left, she couldn’t perform again, not without practically forcing the other Horsemen out of hiding, but she couldn’t stay in hiding much longer. 

She thrived on interaction, on being adored and applauded by crowds. Henley loved the attention being a magician had brought her, and being in hiding was slowly killing her. The Eye hadn’t given them any new instructions, and any questions directed at Dylan were met with diversion or him telling them to “be patient, the Eye has plan.” Henley didn’t know how much she believe that they did. 

The others believed though. Sure, Danny would get agitated sometimes, but ultimately he trusted the Eye. Jack trusted the Eye since the beginning, and never wavered. Merritt had been wary like her, but even he trusted what Dylan said. It wasn’t like Henley didn’t trust Dylan. After everything, she would be an idiot not to. She just didn’t know how much she trusted the Eye. She said as much to Dylan. Though he didn’t want Henley to leave, Dylan agreed to give her a new life in the public. “The Eye protects its people.” He had said. There could be some sentiment found in that, Henley thought. 

When she told the boys her decision, there were… mixed reactions. Merritt was shocked, but he was the first to accept it, understanding that Henley couldn’t be tied down to a place she didn’t want to be. Jack felt betrayed and tried to talk her out of her decision more than once, but eventually he accepted it as well. Danny locked himself in his room for a few days, and only Jack could convince him to eat any food brought to his door. When Danny finally came out of his room, he could barely look at her. It was the day that Dylan came to take her to her new life that Danny finally talked to her again. 

“You shouldn’t leave.” He had said, ignoring Jack and Merritt as they helped Dylan put her bags in the car. 

“I have to, Danny.” Henley said softly. Danny opened his mouth to disagree, but she cut him off. “I have to. I don’t believe the Eye has much more to offer me. You of all people should know that I don’t stay in a place very long if it can’t help me.” Danny had fallen silent at that, and had stayed silent until she was standing at the door, saying goodbye. 

Merritt had given her a hug, and whispered quietly, “I’ll keep an eye on him.” She smiled and kissed him on the cheek. Jack enveloped her in a bone crushing hug, and muttered, “Don’t forget us.” Henley whispered quietly back, “How could I ever?” Danny had stared at her for a long moment, before shaking her hand. “Yes, well, I hope you do well wherever you’re going, have fun.” He turned away before she could say anything. 

Merritt snorted, muttering a quiet “Nice, Danny” while Jack sighed, but Henley glanced down at the small piece of paper he had slipped into her hand, with the words _I’ll miss you_ written in his neat scrawl, and she smiled. 

*** 

The car was silent as they pulled up to a house on the outskirts of a small town in Pennsylvania. Painted white, with a small front porch and shuttered windows, it was almost indistinguishable from the other houses in the town. As the car came to a stop, neither passenger moved. 

“Am I making the right choice?” 

Dylan glanced at her, but she hadn’t turned her head from the house in front of them. “What do you mean?” 

She turned towards him. “Giving up magic. Leaving the Horsemen. Moving to Pennsylvania. Is this the right choice?” 

Dylan sighed, and turned back towards the house. “You said it yourself. You couldn’t stay in the Eye any longer. But you aren’t giving up magic.” 

“I won’t be able to perform anymore.” 

“Doesn’t mean you have to give it up.” 

Henley huffed and sat back in her seat. “But I do have to leave the Horsemen.” 

Dylan smiled then. “Literally? Yes, you do. Figuratively, no. Once a Horseman, always a Horseman.” 

Henley smiled at that. “I guess so.” 

*** 

After helping her get everything inside and situated, Dylan stood at his car, saying his final goodbye.

“This is it.” Henley said, arms tucked around herself. “I’m out.” 

“You are.” Dylan agreed. Henley nodded, looking at the ground. 

She looked back up at Dylan, smiling. “Thank you. For everything.” For choosing her. For bringing her to the Horsemen. For the shows, the fame, the Eye. For helping her get out. For the magic. 

Dylan grinned. “You’re welcome.” 

She pulled him into a hug, and they stayed like that for a while. Finally Dylan pulled away and climbed into his car. Before the door could close, Henley said, “Take care of my boys.” 

Dylan nodded. “Of course.” 

As he drove away, Henley walked back into the house, ready to start her next adventure. 

*** 

Ten months later, Henley Reeves, known as Jessi Smallwood by her town, received a small envelope in the mail with a symbol she would never forget. In it was a picture, a name, and one sentence: 

_**I think she’ll fit in nicely.** _

Henley laughed quietly to herself. “I think she will too.”


End file.
